Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The King of Birds
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: Russian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
control no.: no2018051077
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2018051077
HEADING: Utkin, Alexander
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010 __ |a no2018051077
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca11300578
040 __ |a ICrlF |b eng |e rda |c ICrlF
100 1_ |a Utkin, Alexander
372 __ |a Comic books, strips, etc. |a Illustration of books |2 lcsh
374 __ |a Illustrators |2 lcdgt
375 __ |a Males |2 lcdgt
400 1_ |a Уткин, Александр
667 __ |a Non-Latin script reference not evaluated.
670 __ |a Utkin, Alexander. Gamayun tales. 1, The king of birds, 2018: |b title page (written and drawn by Alexander Utkin)
670 __ |a Author’s website, Russian language version |b (Александр Уткин)
PERSONAL
Male.
EDUCATION:Moscow State University of Printing Arts, M.A., 2006.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, illustrator, comic artist, designer, and musician.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Alexander Utkin is a Russian writer, illustrator, and designer. His first book to appear in English, The King of Birds, is a graphic novel that begins a planned series called “Gamayun Tales,” based on Russian folklore. Utkin has loved the graphic novel/comic book form for many years, he said in an interview on the Nobrow Press website; Nobrow is his English-language publisher. “And comics… Oh, those magical pages of pictures and words!” he told the site’s interviewer. “I loved them when I was a child, but I love (and hopefully understand) them even more now.”
The stories in “Gamayun Tales” are adapted from folk tales collected by Alexander Afanasyev in the nineteenth century. They are narrated by Gamayun, a magical bird with a human face; the character derives from Slavic mythology. “These tales are great and epic!” Utkin told Rachel Morris in an interview at the Association of Illustrators’ website. “As a child, I loved them and now, as an artist, I see great potential in them. They remind me of the make up of computer file archives – there are so few words, but so much information. You need to let your imagination expand it.” He added: “There is a long tradition of depicting these tales – so many illustrations and movies – I wanted to do something different. I wanted to move away from traditional, iconic images and ‘Russian Spirit.’” One of his innovations was to use a limited color palette, with only about twelve colors on a page.
The story in The King of Birds starts with a rivalry over a golden apple that promises eternal youth. The initial rivals are a mouse and a sparrow, but soon all the mammals line up on one side, all the birds on the other, in a full-scale war. The birds prevail, but their king, an eagle, is seriously wounded. The bird king goes into seclusion in the woods, away from his subjects, to recover, and there is he is discovered by a human, who is a local merchant. The merchant takes him home and cares for him until he regains his health. To repay the merchant for his kindness, the bird king offers him a treasure. The man, however, has to travel with the bird king back to the ruler’s home to receive the treasure from the king’s sisters. It turns out that there are complications. The story’s conclusion sets up the next entry in the series.
Several critics thought Utkin had produced an impressive rendering of the tale. The King of Birds is “rich in lavish detail,” related Andy Oliver in an online review at Broken Frontier. Utkin’s “carefully chosen use of colour … enhances the fantasy feel of the story, creating a world that is both beautiful and brutal, captivating yet unforgiving,” Oliver continued. “His panel-to-panel storytelling is particularly engaging, utilising an ever-changing number of page layouts, constant shifts in perspective and some truly standout larger images for dramatic emphasis.” On a website called Down the Tubes, Antony Esmond remarked: “Utkin excels in the colourful weirdness on the page. He has adopted a style that draws out iconic images in fully realised figures of grandeur.” Esmond termed Utkin “super talented” and noted that he does not shy away from the story’s darker aspects, something found in many classic folk and fairy tales. “Utkin brilliantly transfers to the comics page the feelings that we all had as kids when we heard these frightening stories,” Esmond observed. Fiona McMahon, reviewing in Booklist, described The King of Birds as a “beautifully illustrated, refreshing take on folktales,” incorporating “classic storytelling techniques and expressive, captivating character design.” A Publishers Weekly contributor concluded: “Readers will find themselves easily seduced by Utkin’s artwork and storytelling.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2018, Fiona McMahon, review of The King of Birds. p. 36.
Publishers Weekly, February. 26, 2018, review of The King of Birds. p. 95.
ONLINE
Association of Illustrators website, https://theaoi.com/ (February 12, 2018), Rachel Morris, interview with Alexander Utkin.
Broken Frontier, http://www.brokenfrontier.com/ (January 15, 2018), Andy Oliver, “Alexander Utkin’s Lavish and Rich Illustrative Style Brings Russian Folk Tales to Life in Nobrow’s First Book of 2018.”
Down the Tubes, https://downthetubes.net/ (January 14, 2018),. Antony Esmond, review of The King of Birds.
Nobrow Press website, https://nobrow.net/ (September 4, 2018), interview with Alexander Utkin.
Quoted in Sidelights: “And comics… Oh, those magical pages of pictures and words!” he told the site’s interviewer. “I loved them when I was a child, but I love (and hopefully understand) them even more now.”
Alexander Utkin
Alexander Utkin is an illustrator, comic artist, designer and musician from Russia. He studied at Moscow State University of Printing Arts, graduating in 2006 with a Master of Arts. Clients include Samsung, Universal Music and WWF, among many others.
To find out a little more about his work, we asked Alexander the following questions…
What inspires your work?
My friends and colleagues. Animation and movies (Disney, Miyazaki, Nolan etc.), TV series (The Simpsons, Futurama, Adventure Time, Over the Garden Wall, Breaking Bad, Firefly, Fargo, Penny Dreadful and so many more!) and anime (Miyazaki again, Studio 4°C, Gainax etc.).
When I was a little boy I didn’t want to become an astronaut or — I don’t know — a millionaire, no! I wanted to become Walt Disney! Little has changed since then. Music. I listen to music when I walk, when I work, when I rest, when I work out, when I eat (but I prefer to sleep without music). And comics… Oh, those magical pages of pictures and words! I loved them when I was a child, but I love (and hopefully understand) them even more now. So many great artists and authors — Mignola, Pope, O’Neill, Herge, Mattotti, Moon & Ba, Pearson, Maclean, Siegel, Corben, Millar, Miller, Moore — a never ending ocean of inspiration and joy!
Tell us a bit about your process…
I work in different techniques. Sometimes it is all digital. Sometimes 100% hand-drawn and colored. But Gamayun Tales are made with following steps: It all starts with a pencil (or pen) and a sketchbook. And with an idea in my head. First, I draw small thumbnails. Really tiny ones. No one but me could understand most of them, but for me it is all there already.
After that it is Pencil Time! I take printer paper, pencil and eraser and try to make all the important composition decisions regardless the quality of the lines. When pencils are done I take a sheet of good paper, a pencil and a lightpad and draw a clean version with best lines and shading I could! And also, I try not to lose the energy and life-breath of previous step.
Then I scan it, increase contrast of the pencil drawing, so it basically becomes inks.
Colors are all digital. And often it is the hardest step for me. Good colouring is so important and I really try to do my best here! Small but logically-chosen colour palette helps a lot.
Lettering, bubbles and fonts are also very important. Both for me and for Nobrow (and for you, dear reader, even if you’ve never thought of it). So together we managed to create something special for Gamayun Tales. Thank you, Camille and Sam!
Quoted in Sidelights: “beautifully illustrated, refreshing take on folktales,”incorporating “classic storytelling techniques and expressive, captivating character design.”
Print Marked Items
Gamayun Tales, v. 1: The King of Birds
Fiona McMahon
Booklist.
114.18 (May 15, 2018): p36.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Gamayun Tales, v. 1: The King of Birds.
By Alexander Utkin. Illus. by the author.
2018. 72p. Nobrow, $16.95 (9781910620380). 741.5. Gr. 6-9.
Based on Russian folktales, Utkin's series-starter opens with Gamayun, a magical, human-faced bird who guides readers through the stories. She
begins with the tale of a golden apple discovered by mouse, who hid it away. Once sparrow discovered mouse's greed, a war broke out between
the animals and the birds. The birds were victorious, but the bird king sustained terrible wounds and went off alone to recover his strength. He
was discovered by a hunter, who was merciful and nursed the bird king back to health. When he recovered, the king decided to reward the hunter
by offering him a gift, though it wasn't without conditions. This beautifully illustrated, refreshing take on folktales blends classic storytelling
techniques and expressive, captivating character design. Utkin's artistic style is a fluid combination of 1960s-era Disney animation and midtwentieth-century
graphic design, with a bold palette to match. Upper-middle-grade readers who love folktales and mythology will appreciate this
distinctive offering with a suspenseful cliffhanger that gives them even more to look forward to.--Fiona McMahon
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
McMahon, Fiona. "Gamayun Tales, v. 1: The King of Birds." Booklist, 15 May 2018, p. 36. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541400865/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=82c3f3c1. Accessed 19 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A541400865
Quoted in Sidelights: “Readers will find themselves easily seduced by Utkin’s artwork and storytelling.”
The King of Birds
Publishers Weekly.
265.9 (Feb. 26, 2018): p95.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The King of Birds
Alexander Utkin. Nobrow, $16.95 (72p) ISBN 978-1-910620-38-0
Gamayun, a human-faced bird from Slavic mythology who tells stories, greets readers in this intriguing graphic-novel rendering of Russian
folktales. Like Russian nesting dolls, each tale is born from the previous one, and 'they often cross back into other stories later on. What starts as
an attempt to steal an apple of eternal youth from the garden of a warrior princess leads to a war between the mammals and birds. After winning,
the King of Birds struggles to survive and is saved by the kindness of a merchant. The king is indebted to the human, whom he flies to faraway
lands and awards him a treasure that he is not allowed to open. Utkin's work is mesmerizing and haunting both visually and narratively, his
striking characters wavering between majestic and malevolent. Though much of the story occurs in the wild, Utkin switches up earthy hues for
bright backgrounds and beings that cover the range of colors--notably shades of bright blue and gold. Readers will find themselves easily seduced
by Utkin's artwork and storytelling. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The King of Birds." Publishers Weekly, 26 Feb. 2018, p. 95. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530637537/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c87fcab8. Accessed 19 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530637537
Quoted in Sidelights: “rich in lavish detail,” related Andy Oliver in an online review at Broken Frontier. Utkin’s “carefully chosen use of colour … enhances the fantasy feel of the story, creating a world that is both beautiful and brutal, captivating yet unforgiving,” Oliver continued. “His panel-to-panel storytelling is particularly engaging, utilising an ever-changing number of page layouts, constant shifts in perspective and some truly standout larger images for dramatic emphasis.”
Gamayun Tales Vol. 1: The King of Birds – Alexander Utkin’s Lavish and Rich Illustrative Style Brings Russian Folk Tales to Life in Nobrow’s First Book of 2018
by Andy Oliver January 15, 2018
5
0
The first in a (presumed) series of books, Alexander Utkin’s Gamayun Tales: The King of Birds (translated by Lada Morozova) is an all-ages offering from Nobrow Press based on original Russian folklore. A book with a cross-generational appeal it can be enjoyed by a younger audience as an enchanting fairy tale or appreciated by an older one for its truly gorgeous illustration and craft.
Via the titular Gamayun – a human-faced bird from Slavic mythology who fills the dual roles of guide and commentator on the action – Utkin throws us into a story-in-progress from the very beginning. Events surrounding a disputed magic apple lead to a breakdown in the relations between the Animal Kingdom – ruled by its leonine monarch – and the Kingdom of the Birds, overseen by a majestic eagle. The tensions between them eventually lead to war and a climactic and devastating final battle between the two sides.
Recuperating from the injuries he sustained in that encounter, the King of the Birds strikes a bargain with a merchant who lives deep in the woods with his wife. If he tends to his recovery for however long it takes then the King will reward him handsomely. But that bounty will be provided by the avian ruler’s sisters and, as the pair begin their long journey across the land, they discover that those siblings may not be that keen to provide the merchant with his due…
Visually, myths and legends are ripe ground for comics adaptations, allowing those bringing them to the page ample opportunity to let their imaginations roam in re-imagining their fantastical elements and magical events. In narrative terms, however, they bring their own challenges, being full of extraneous details that can affect pacing and flow when brought to other mediums. Utkin never allows his pages to get bogged down in backstory or excessive exposition though, preferring to move quickly on from the causes of the animal/bird war in the early pages and giving the book a jaunty, episodic rhythm throughout.
It’s Utkin’s art that is, obviously, the true draw of Gamayun Tales and its sumptuously coloured pages are rich in lavish detail. It’s that same carefully chosen use of colour that enhances the fantasy feel of the story, creating a world that is both beautiful and brutal, captivating yet unforgiving. His panel-to-panel storytelling is particularly engaging, utilising an ever-changing number of page layouts, constant shifts in perspective and some truly standout larger images for dramatic emphasis (scenes of conflict are very notable in this regard, especially the Bird King and his lion counterpart’s battle and the confrontations with his sisters).
Where the book may feel slightly unsatisfying to some readers is in its serial nature. While its almost “post-credits”-style cliffhanger ending is a perfect hook for the next volume there’s one major plot element left dangling that feels awkward in its lack of resolution given its set-up. That’s easily overlooked though in the context of Utkin’s stunningly designed characters and hypnotic hues. An impressive start indeed to 2018’s publishing line-up from Nobrow Press.
Alexander Utkin (W/A), Lada Morozova (Translation) • Nobrow Press, £12.99/$16.95
Review by Andy Oliver
Quoted in Sidelights: Utkin excels in the colourful weirdness on the page. He has adopted a style that draws out iconic images in fully realised figures of grandeur.” Esmoud termed Utkin “super talented” and noted that he does not shy away from the story’s darker aspects, something found in many classic folk and fairy tales. “Utkin brilliantly transfers to the comics page the feelings that we all had as kids when we heard these frightening stories,”
IN REVIEW – GAMAYUN TALES: THE KING OF BIRDS
Posted on January 14, 2018 by Antony Esmond
Gamayun Tales: The King of Birds
Written and Drawn by Alexander Utkin
Translated by Lada Morozova
Published by Nobrow
67 pages – Full Colour Hardback – £12.00/$19.95
The Story: This is the story of how a small golden apple started a great battle. It all began with a mouse and a sparrow, but soon all the animals and birds were waging a mighty war. After all, the King of Birds forgives no one…. But what will happen when he finds himself at the mercy of a plucky merchant?
Gamayun Tales: The King of Birds - Sample Art
The Review: Gamayun Tales: The King of Birds is based on traditional Russian folklore and translated onto the drawn page by the super talented Alexander Utkin, a comic creator, illustrator and musician from Russia. Like all good stories of yore, it is not story for the meek. Utkin brilliantly transfers to the comics page the feelings that we all had as kids when we heard these frightening stories. In the same way that the Brothers Grimm filled their stories with murderers and thieves, this book has that sharply unsettling feel to its story and art.
In the narrative, we follow an argument between friends that escalates to a world war of too proud nations. From that we see transformative Machiavellian shenanigans that result in nefarious twists and turns in a fairy tale that you never really get to second guess. The wisdom of our forefathers is self evident in the selfish emotions of many on the page and they echo through our current news cycles. And so should all great stories be that are told, from fireside to computer side.
Utkin excels in the colourful weirdness on the page. He has adopted a style that draws out iconic images in fully realised figures of grandeur. A favourite page has the King Eagle atop a gnarled branch, wounded yet proud the backgrounds show the browns and yellows of an autumn evening. The light on the page has to be seen to be believed. Each panel seems to have been swept off an easel and into this book.
Gamayun Tales: The King of Birds - Sample Art
My favourite player in this book is a merchant who is the saviour and then plaything of the King of Birds. He is a thick set and ruddy faced individual. He watches and obeys as the giant Eagle King morphs in front of him from bird to statuesque god in Utkin’s marvellous brushy and bright pastel drawings. He is a cracking character who bravely follows the seemingly brash and unwise orders of his friend for good or bad.
Gamayun Tales: The King of Birds was previously published in Lithuania and is presented here in a glorious hardback for a great price by the mighty Nobrow.
Highly recommended.
Quoted in Sidelights: “These tales are great and epic!” Utkin told Rachel Morris in an interview at the Association of Illustrators’ website. “As a child, I loved them and now, as an artist, I see great potential in them. They remind me of the make up of computer file archives – there are so few words, but so much information. You need to let your imagination expand it.” He added: “There is a long tradition of depicting these tales – so many illustrations and movies – I wanted to do something different. I wanted to move away from traditional, iconic images and ‘Russian Spirit.’”
News / Reviews / Gamayun Tales Vol.1: The King of Birds – book review
GAMAYUN TALES VOL.1: THE KING OF BIRDS – BOOK REVIEW
Written & illustrated by Alexander Utkin
Published by Nobrow ISBN: 9781910620380
Review by Rachel Morris
“Greetings, best beloved” – so begins the story, narrated by Gamayun, a magical human-faced bird from Slavic mythology. The opening page feels like the reader is drawing near to a crackling campfire. Our narrator is lit from below and placed towards the bottom of the page in an expanse of darkness, which adds a feeling of intimacy and excitement right from the start.
The story of ‘courage, love and wisdom’ is a re-telling of traditional Russian folk tales. I asked writer and illustrator, Alexander Utkin, about the origins of these epic stories.
AU: These stories were collected and written down by Alexander Afanasyev – our most respected Russian folk tale collector. He lived in the 19th century. My mother read them to me when I was a child, but pretty soon I started to read them for myself – and that I remember more clearly. I even have THAT very book now. These tales are great and epic! As a child, I loved them and now, as an artist, I see great potential in them. They remind me of the make up of computer file archives – there are so few words, but so much information. You need to let your imagination expand it.
RM: Yes, and the nod to comic book layout and style really encourage the reader to move through he story with the characters – like stills from an animated film. On some pages there is hardly any text at all and the change of pace throughout the book really gets you wrapped up in the story and allows your imagination to play around. What were the challenges you faced when you were bringing the words and images together?
AU: I had (and am still having) some challenges with this project, but not with adding my images to the stories. There is a long tradition of depicting these tales – so many illustrations and movies – I wanted to do something different. I wanted to move away from traditional, iconic images and ‘Russian Spirit’. To create my own, new version and to use this archive of stories as the basis for my own self-expression as an author is not as challenging as it is fun and rewarding!
RM: I love the colour palette you use in this book. Do you use a secret, scientific formula to arrive at your colour choices, or is it a more organic process than that?
AU: Colouring – THAT was the challenge! It is the hardest part of the work for me, but it is also the most important. I am not an organic colourist, so I had to make a special palette with limited colours to make the book look solid and unique. That also really helps to streamline the process of colouring. I started with a very limited palette – I think it was 10 colours, or so – but as new characters and locations appear, I add new colours (if none of the old ones fit). Now I have 42 colours within the Gamayun Tales palette, but each page contains only about 10-12 colours. There’s no secret formula – I must like the colour, and it must work well with the others. I want to say great thanks to the Nobrow team – they managed to print these colours perfectly. Not only that, they are just great professionals. Working with them is a dream for an artist.
RM: It feels like there are lots more stories to come. Are you planning a whole series?
AU: Yes, I want Gamayun Tales to be a long series. There is such a huge archive to expand upon and one of my goals is to link all the tales. I’d like to let the characters from different stories interact and have an effect on each other. So yes, it was a series from the start. I hope my publisher and readers would like to see more. I am willing to continue. As for The King of Birds, it is the first book in a trilogy of Gamayun Tales. Now I am finishing the second book – The Water Spirit, and a third is to be drawn this year. After that I want to draw a standalone story, another trilogy and a bunch of short stories perhaps. Ha ha! That’s just for starters! We will see if it will come to life.
I am always working on other projects, some of them are comics – a theme for another interview, I think.
The King of Birds will appeal to different people on many levels. Someone who is new to reading independently will be un-intimidated by the sparse, well chosen words. The pace of the story is exciting and the tale itself is loaded with messages and old wisdom, but manages not to be sentimental.
It’s the beautiful illustrations that really bathe you in colour and immerse you in the story of the epic battle between the kingdoms of the animals and birds.
12th February 2018